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USCG IMO Homepage

Please note: Some of the Web sites listed below are not federal government Web sites, and may not necessarily operate under the same laws, regulations and policies as federal Web sites.

Summary

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations with the responsibility to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for worldwide shipping. The result is a comprehensive body of international conventions, supported by hundreds of recommendations governing every facet of shipping including safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.

The US Coast Guard has been a key participant at the IMO for all policy development since the IMO Convention entered into force 50 years ago. Numerous US Coast Guard offices and personnel with various skillsets take the lead in addressing international maritime issues with the help of various government and industry advisors. These advisors include members from the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, as well as numerous industry experts - all providing the technical support and guidance necessary to sufficiently advocate U.S. positions on the issues. In all, over 250 U.S. members (government, shipping industry, and academia) are sent to the IMO on a yearly basis.

IMO Structure

The work of the IMO is carried out by the IMO Secretariat, Member States, IGOs, and NGOs. The day to day running of the IMO, including meeting coordination and preparation, is conducted by the IMO Secretariat who is headed by the Secretary-General and assisted by a staff of some 300 international civil servants. The Member States, IGOs, and NGOs are represented at the IMO through the various IMO bodies (Assembly, Council, 5 Committees, and 7 Sub-Committees), by a delegation that consists of designated members and led by the Head of Delegation.

To find out more about the various IMO bodies and Coast Guard's involvement, click on the hyperlinked titles (below) or use the navigation bar to the left. Each individual page contains:

a brief summary of the particular body including its Terms of Reference,

the next session with its Provisional Agenda and Public Meeting date and location,

Assembly

The Assembly is the highest Governing Body of the IMO. It consists of all Member States and it meets once every two years in regular sessions. The Assembly is responsible for approving the work program, voting the budget and electing the Council.

Council

The Council is the Executive Organ of the IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council performs all the functions of the Assembly, except the function of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.

Committees

The five policy-making Committees are responsible for the development, review, updating, and approval of the organizationís guidelines and regulations. The Committees report to the organizationís Council and Assembly on the status of their Committee and respective Sub-Committees.

The work of the five Committees is described by their titles, as follows:

Sub-Committees

The seven technical Sub-Committees support the work of the five policy-making Committees. The Sub-Committees are under the direct instructions of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) and the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). These Sub-Committees were formed in 2013 during a Sub-Committee reorganization, replacing the nine that previously existed. A brief description of the relationship between the old and new Sub-Committees is provided here. These seven new Sub-Committees will have their first meetings in 2014.

The work of the seven Sub-Committees is described by their titles, as follows:

USCG IMO e-Newsletter

The Coast Guard publishes a semi-annual e-Newsletter in the winter and summer to disseminate information regarding key IMO issues and decisions of particular interest to the U.S. Below is a list of the most recent e-Newsletters

Please note: The only information needed to subscribe to any of the
USCG IMO mailing lists is your e-mail address in the "subscribing" section. The name and
password can be left blank and the system will generate one for you. The section regarding a
daily digest should remain "no". Once complete click SUBSCRIBE and an automatically generated
subscription confirmation notice will be sent to you that needs a response to activate your
subscription.

Contact Information

For question or more information about the Coast Guard's work with the IMO, please contact: